When You Think About Thinking
One of our first thoughts when we start to think about the subject of thinking is There is no substitute for thinking. Which is why we consider it a compelling subject to discuss and think about.
In 1982 John Naisbitt wrote the book “Megatrends.” The book was one of the first works that discussed the transformation of US society from an industrial based society/economy to a service/information-based society. One of John’s famous quotes was; “We are drowning in information but starved for Knowledge.” If that was indeed true in the 1980s and 1990s, can we even comprehend what that means today?
We might even want to consider that in the 21st century we are in the “Misinformation Age” not just the information age as outlined in decades past. If this has any measure of reality then “thinking” is more important than ever before. Consider the old adage “No news is good news.” If that has any semblance of truth then why do we have all these 24/7 news stations spewing information pretty much all sounding the same. No wonder our society is heavily medicated as what they are emitting is not good and uplifting news
Going deeper into this thought process we know that information is not knowledge. Further knowledge is not intelligence. Even further intelligence is not wisdom.
We therefore devised what we refer to as the 3M+ Thinking Model.
The three Ms are; Micro, Mid, and Macro. Micro relates to information and or data.
Mid or middle can equal knowledge. If the micro information/data is accurate, factual, and reliable than we can evolve to knowledge. Macro can then transition into wisdom. Wisdom normally requires more than just information and knowledge. Experience, reflection, analysis and the connecting of the dots of information and knowledge are usually key elements to the transition process into Macro wisdom.
Finally, even when and if we get to knowledge and wisdom, then “we must think beyond conventional wisdom because conventional wisdom is not always wise.” The rationale that makes this a true statement is that conventional wisdom is mostly looking backwards. Forward thinking requires a more piercing thought process. This is expressly true if one of the few known certainties in life is uncertainty. Beside change we can also be subjected to misinformation. We consider this feedback loop thinking process imperative for the 21st century. If not used then perhaps a sequel to John Naisbitt quote could be: “Drowning in misinformation, but starved for Truth”. Thinking beyond conventional wisdom represents the + of the 3M+ Thinking Model.
As always, we are pleased to have a continued discussion of the “Whys” as they pertain to this essay topic. Please reach out for more information.
The foregoing information has been obtained from sources considered to be reliable, but we do not guarantee that it is accurate or complete, it is not a statement of all available data necessary for making an investment decision, and it does not constitute a recommendation. Any opinions are those of the Ballou Family Office and not necessarily those of Raymond James.
